Dr Manoj Sharma is a farmer and an aquaculture expert with more than 26 years of experience in shrimp farming. Dr Manoj has played a major role in the development of shrimp farming in the coastal regions of Gujarat, especially through the Gujarat Aquaculture Association, under which shrimp farmers have united under one umbrella. Dr. Manoj is a popular international speaker on the topic of sustainable shrimp farming practices and has been a prominent advocate for the domestic promotion and consumption of farmed shrimp in India. He started Zhingalala, a shrimp restaurant and distribution network, to demonstrate his belief in India's potential for expanded shrimp consumption.

Dr. Dominique P. Bureau obtained a B.Sc. in Bio-Agronomy and a M.Sc. in Animal Science in 1992 from Laval University and a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Guelph in Canada.  He manages the Fish Nutrition Research Laboratory at the University of Guelph where he leads a dynamic research program focusing on nutrient utilization, feed formulation, feed ingredient evaluation, and development of mathematical models of digestion, growth, and nutrient utilization for aquaculture species. Dr. Bureau is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Wittaya Aqua International (wittaya-aqua.ca), a thriving company developing a suite of cutting-edge online tools for aquaculture operations, feed manufacturers and ingredient suppliers.

Van Vu has over eight years of experience in creating technologies aimed at fostering a sustainable aquaculture ecosystem. He is the co-founder and CEO of OTANICS Technology Jsc. This company operates the Tomota digital platform, catering to every participant in the global shrimp value chain. In addition, Van is the cofounder of Ofarm Technology JSC, which develops cost-effective recirculation aquaculture systems for small-holder farmers. He also leads the NTT Hi-Tech Institute, focusing on high-tech applications in various industries. His mission is to drive positive change through innovation and collaboration in environmental, social, and economic realms.

Pranit Mehta is the Co-Founder & VP, Business Development at GalaxEye Space, a DeepTech startup building India's first private constellation of Earth Imaging Satellites. An IIT Madras alumnus, he leads GalaxEye's efforts in the aquaculture industry through their brand, GalaxEye Blue. GalaxEye Blue utilizes advanced remote sensing and satellite imagery to monitor and predict stocking and harvesting activities, assess water quality parameters, and more, without the need for physical pond samples. Under Pranit’s leadership, GalaxEye is revolutionizing aquaculture, providing innovative solutions for more efficient and sustainable farming practices, already having engaged with some marquee clients in India. 

Erwin Termaat is a shrimp production analyst with a unique blend of analytical expertise and practical experience, specifically in Ecuador. He has worked on Ecuadorian shrimp farms, gaining firsthand insights that are invaluable in understanding the nuances of the industry in this region.

Brandon Phillips is the Vice President of External Affairs and Councils at the National Fisheries Institute, and leads the NFI Tuna Council, Salmon Council, and Mexican Shrimp Council. He also provides operational and comptroller support to the Blue and Red Swimming Crab Councils, Global Shrimp Council, and oversight of NFI’s Education Initiative for healthcare providers and consumers. Over his 10 years with NFI, Phillips has led a variety of projects and initiatives, including industry research and projects to increase seafood consumption; video production and webinar hosting; and policy efforts on Capitol Hill.

Matt Livesay is Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer for Red Lobster, the world’s largest seafood restaurant company. In his current role he is responsible for leading all of Red Lobster’s Supply Chain activities including the strategic sourcing of seafood, commodities, beverage, and equipment as well as foodservice distribution, third-party logistics, sourcing sustainability compliance and other services for over 550 locations globally. Matt also oversees the Total Quality and Food Safety team that is responsible for food safety, product specifications, quality and regulatory compliance, and supplier and restaurant inspection programs.

Trained as a D.V.M. in veterinarian sciences with a specialization in aquaculture, Dr. Marc Le Groumellec earned a diploma in tropical microbiology and food safety at Pasteur Institute, Paris, and a PhD in Aquaculture and Pathology. His career includes positions as head of the pathology department of Ifremer in Tahiti and director of the Research and Development Centre of Aquanova. In 1998 he joined the Aqualma/Unima team to develop the first industrial scaled Penaeus monodon Domestication Centre in Madagascar. From 2008 - 2016 he was the Director of the domestication program and hatcheries at Aqualma operations, later becoming the Director of Domestication, Pathology, Biosecurity and Genetics.

Oscar Hennig has over 30 years’ experience in the shrimp farming sector. His main areas of expertise include selective breeding programs, SPF stock development and shrimp diseases. Hennig began his career working on farms in Australia before completing his MSc degree in aquaculture at the University of Santa Catarina. Prior to establishing his own farm in northeast Brazil, Hennig participated in a research project focused on shrimp immunology at the Shimonoseki National Fisheries University in Japan. Hennig moved to Hawai’i in 1999 to manage a facility for the Oceanic Institute in Kona. He has remained in Kona ever since, manaaging P. monodon, P. stylirostris, and – mainly – P. vannamei breeding programs for several prominent companies.

With 10 years in the industry and another 10 years in the advisory and financial services industry, Lam Dinh has been playing a key role in managing the technology and business development agenda of Viet Uc since the group was only a hatchery and seedlings provider in Vietnam's aquaculture. The group is now a fully integrated enterprise with sophisticated and technologically advanced components of genetics, hatchery, feed manufacture, growout and processing. Lam has a strategic understanding of and management capabilities in all of these domains. He was educated in Vietnam and the US at Lake Forest College where he earned a B.A. in Economics, Math, and Computer Science.

Robin Pearl is an entrepreneur who has founded several companies in diverse fields with sustainable undertones. In 2014, he co-founded American Penaeid Inc. (API) and worked to build it into the largest indoor shrimp farm in the United States. API is now successfully producing all natural, chemical-free and fresh shrimp available year-round in commercial quantities for markets across the world.

BSFF is a non-profit research, policy, advocacy, and business support organization. As part of its mission to develop a hygienically safe, economically viable, environmentally friendly and socially responsible aquaculture industry in Bangladesh, BSFF is engaged in action-research and trainings for adoption of GAqP, HACCP, Third Party Certification and e-Traceability.​As part of its action-research, BSFF enables the transfer of aquaculture breeding technology for P. monodon, Polychaete and seabass. ​BSFF is a partner with TCRS on an improver program to position Black Tiger Shrimp (P. monodon) as Premium Natural Tiger Shrimp in the international market.

Corey Peet is the Vice President of Sustainability for Aqua Star and has worked on sustainable seafood for more than 20 years. He has led the development of multi-stakeholder initiatives and works to help buyers understand sustainability issues and provide guidance to inform their sustainability commitments.He has extensive experience working in Southeast Asia working on the farmed shrimp sector including a focus on building place-based sustainability solutions that are designed to support small-scale seafood producers. The work includes supporting the development of the Asian Seafood Improvement Collaborative, a group of Asian seafood industry stakeholders working to build their own fisheries and shrimp aquaculture improvement programs as well as supporting similar efforts in Japan (SakanaBlue) and the United States (FishCARE). Corey also supports Where Food Comes From’s restaurant sustainability program (Smart Catch) that seeks to connect the unique sustainability stories of producers to innovative chefs.

Sarabpreet has been associated with the seafood industry for over 20 years in various capacities. As General Manager at Devi Seafoods he been working on strategies to achieve the company’s sustainability goals. As part of eco certification and sustainability initiatives of shrimp farms, he has engaged with different stake holders of the industry. Devi Seafoods' integrated infrastructure and presence across the entire shrimp supply chain has given him the opportunity to implement international sustainability standards in shrimp hatchery, farms, feed mill, and processing facilities.

Antonio Santa Marta has been working in the seafood industry for over eight years, most of which has been focused on aquaculture sustainability challenges and technology development. Antonio currently leads the shrimp aquaculture program at The Nature Conservancy, focusing on global shrimp supply chain sustainability challenges. Antonio’s work for TNC’s growing shrimp portfolio currently focuses on Ecuador, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. Antonio has extensive experience working with aquaculture supply chain traceability and sustainability in Southeast Asia and Latin America, as well as aquaculture risk management across Europe, North America and the Middle East.

Dr. Farshad Shishehchian holds a Ph.D. in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology with a focus on shrimp farming and completed the Senior Executive Management Program at the Kellogg School of Management. In his 30 years of experience managing aquaculture farms globally, Dr. Farshad invented the Mixotrophic™ System, a shrimp farming method patented in eight countries, and received the Global Aquaculture Industry Award in 2021 from WAS.Dr. Farshad is CEO and founder of Blue Aqua International Group, which operates a super-intensive farm, hatchery, and shrimp breeding center in Singapore, supplying seafood locally. The company plans to launch the Blue Aqua Trout Farm and Feed Mill by late 2024 and a shrimp farm in Oman by early 2025. Dr. Farshad also founded the Asian Aquaculture Network (AAN) and served as President of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS), Asia Pacific Chapter, from 2013 to 2016.

ABCh Mohan boasts 24 years of experience in organizing and empowering small farmers. During his tenure with MPEDA-NACA and NaCSA, his team’s efforts were recognized as a "Success Story in Asian Aquaculture" in 2009. At NaCSA, he and his team promoted science-based management for sustainable aquaculture through a participatory approach, empowering small-scale farmers and connecting them to markets for better prices. He was instrumental in organizing 643 societies, involving 18,399 registered farmers over 16,702 hectares, producing 60% of India's farmed prawn.

From 2014 to 2022, Mohan worked with SGS, auditing farms and hatcheries across Asia and the Middle East for BAP and ASC organic certifications. Currently, he manages the Seafood Solutions firm, leading a dedicated team that supports processors in obtaining sustainable certifications by organizing smallholders into group certifications with Quality Management Systems. His team also collaborates with various international organizations such as WorldFish, WWF, IFPRI, and Future Fish.